SdAufKla
Active member
Unfortunately, it doesn't actually work that way.
We have a member of our club who's a recently retired SC Army NG LTC. Not only that, but he's an engineer branch officer, and what's more, he's a civilian employee of the guard who's a licensed civil engineer whose job it is to provide contract compliance oversight to SC NG facilities construction and maintenance projects. In short, he knows how the system works and all of the "secret handshakes" that make it go 'round. (His office is actually in one of the other buildings in this same Bluff Road location.)
I could write a book here on the subject from just what he's told me about what goes on to get something even simple-minded like a new AC system installed on this particular armory drill hall. Bottom line is that it's all about the money, or more specifically, the lack thereof. Many reasons why this is so, but my understanding is that there is no new AC planned for the foreseeable future at this facility. The existing unit is over 20 years old, but still, no money available to even spend on getting it fixed or serviced at this time of year since we are at the end of the fiscal year for the guard. This time of year, all the money they have always goes towards "other priorities."
The funds generated by armory rentals goes towards the guard's MWR needs (Moral, Welfare and Recreation), and as the old saying in the military goes, "Nothing is too good for the troops, and that's exactly what they're going to get - and plenty of it!" In short, the guard really doesn't give a rat's patootie about renting these facilities. "If you want it, you may have it - as is. If you don't like it, go somewhere else. And, oh BTW, it doesn't' matter that you have a contract, if we need it for some (for us) short notice reason, you're out of luck. It's ours and we'll do with it what WE want."
The armory represents a really good value for the rental money when things are going well, but it comes with a number of "hidden costs" and risks.
We have a member of our club who's a recently retired SC Army NG LTC. Not only that, but he's an engineer branch officer, and what's more, he's a civilian employee of the guard who's a licensed civil engineer whose job it is to provide contract compliance oversight to SC NG facilities construction and maintenance projects. In short, he knows how the system works and all of the "secret handshakes" that make it go 'round. (His office is actually in one of the other buildings in this same Bluff Road location.)
I could write a book here on the subject from just what he's told me about what goes on to get something even simple-minded like a new AC system installed on this particular armory drill hall. Bottom line is that it's all about the money, or more specifically, the lack thereof. Many reasons why this is so, but my understanding is that there is no new AC planned for the foreseeable future at this facility. The existing unit is over 20 years old, but still, no money available to even spend on getting it fixed or serviced at this time of year since we are at the end of the fiscal year for the guard. This time of year, all the money they have always goes towards "other priorities."
The funds generated by armory rentals goes towards the guard's MWR needs (Moral, Welfare and Recreation), and as the old saying in the military goes, "Nothing is too good for the troops, and that's exactly what they're going to get - and plenty of it!" In short, the guard really doesn't give a rat's patootie about renting these facilities. "If you want it, you may have it - as is. If you don't like it, go somewhere else. And, oh BTW, it doesn't' matter that you have a contract, if we need it for some (for us) short notice reason, you're out of luck. It's ours and we'll do with it what WE want."
The armory represents a really good value for the rental money when things are going well, but it comes with a number of "hidden costs" and risks.
